Welcome to Texas
Adam came in from Rochester last night, and as we were driving to the airport to pick him up, we were rear-ended. It was just like the commercial, one minute you're talking about something, then the big jolt and there you are, in the middle of a car accident. A fender bender in this case, and no one was even mildly injured. Not even sore muscles the next day. We had transferred our auto insurance to Texas. But we live in one of those neighborhoods where the mailboxes are in clusters and everyone has a key to their own mailbox. Tuesday, I called the post office and applied for a key. Three days later we went with proof of purchase of our house (you have to have that or a lease agreement) and they had no record of our applying for a key. And our proof of insurance and policy number and all that stuff is in the mailbox we can't actually open.
Officer Cruz was very understanding. My first experience with Austin PD was very positive. And Adam's plane was late so we were there when he got to baggage claim. As things go it was pretty painless, although Bob's beloved WRX has a nasty mangled bumper. And Bob loves his little WRX, so this is sad, although thanks to the wonders of insurance this should be temporary.
The guy who bumped us was...odd. When we pulled over, he pulled over on the other side of the road and never looked at us or asked if we were all right. Bob ran across the road and asked him if he was all right and he said yes. And that was it. For the next twenty minutes he ignored us. The police talked to him, and they talked to us. They had him fill out a form and had us fill out a form. Then they brought us his form and took ours over to him. Of course, if I'd hit someone's car, I'd be mortified, but that, I realize, is not everyone's reaction. Or maybe it was his. Maybe he was so completely mortified he couldn't speak to us.
We are almost completely unpacked. I'm down to less than a dozen boxes. This means I'll be able to start writing again, now in my new, pretty office.
Officer Cruz was very understanding. My first experience with Austin PD was very positive. And Adam's plane was late so we were there when he got to baggage claim. As things go it was pretty painless, although Bob's beloved WRX has a nasty mangled bumper. And Bob loves his little WRX, so this is sad, although thanks to the wonders of insurance this should be temporary.
The guy who bumped us was...odd. When we pulled over, he pulled over on the other side of the road and never looked at us or asked if we were all right. Bob ran across the road and asked him if he was all right and he said yes. And that was it. For the next twenty minutes he ignored us. The police talked to him, and they talked to us. They had him fill out a form and had us fill out a form. Then they brought us his form and took ours over to him. Of course, if I'd hit someone's car, I'd be mortified, but that, I realize, is not everyone's reaction. Or maybe it was his. Maybe he was so completely mortified he couldn't speak to us.
We are almost completely unpacked. I'm down to less than a dozen boxes. This means I'll be able to start writing again, now in my new, pretty office.
posted by Maureen McHugh at 9:03 PM
5 Comments:
I suspect he didn't speak to you more from the legal liability aspect than anything else 'odd.' Texas may be very litigious in these cases.
Glad you're enjoying the move, minus this incident.
Oz Whiston
I'm really impressed that you're almost unpacked. The last time I moved it took at least 6 months before I could say that. And even then there were a few of those boxes--the kind you stash in the attic or the basement w/o actually opening them.
Maureen,
Being tailended is your baptism as an authentic Austinite. This is the town where all stop signs with a white border are optional and a red light means floor the accelerator. Every time I go through a light when I think I should probably have stopped two more cars go through behind me.
Stuart
When we were househunting we joked about learning to drive Texas style. It's not so funny now. The drivers around here have an aggressive style that can best be described as "clueless arrogance".
They say everything is bigger in Texas, but judging by the numbers of enormous SUVs and pick up trucks I'd say it was the land of small penises.
Fortunately, that guy that hit us was driving a normal sized sedan. It could have been much worse.
Every time I've been rear-ended I've had enough time to look in the rear-view mirror and see it coming and realize there was nothing I could do.
The last time I got crunched it was some old geezer in a pickup truck. I was stopped at a red light and saw him coming from half a mile away. He had half a mile to see me, and he didn't.
His insurance paid.
I still have unopened boxes from two moves ago. It seemed easier to put them on the truck rather than open them and see what was inside. After all, they were neatly boxed.
I've thought about donating them to a charity auction as "Walter Jon Williams Mystery Boxes."
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